Recovery From Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome Is Associated With Increasing Alpha Power in the Frontal Electroencephalogram During Propofol Sedation: A Case Report

Abstract

The effects of critical illness on electroencephalographic (EEG) signatures of sedatives have not been described, limiting the use of EEG-guided sedation in the intensive care unit (ICU). We report the case of a 36-year-old man recovering from acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). Severe ARDS was characterized by slow-delta (0.1–4 Hz) and theta (4–8 Hz) oscillations but lacked the alpha (8–14 Hz) power expected during propofol sedation in a patient of this age. The alpha power emerged as ARDS resolved. This case raises the question of whether inflammatory states can alter EEG signatures during sedation.